Unit D - Blog 38

Myra Bradwell was one of five women lawyers in the United States in 1870. Bradwell was married to a judge, who had previously practiced law after passing the Chicago Bar Exam. After learning law under her husband, she passed the test for admission to the Chicago Bar, but was denied by the Illinois Supreme Court in 1869, then later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Bradwell was already a notable female in the history of law by just passing the Chicago Bar alone, but she later made more historical impact. During her denial by the U.S. Supreme Court a noteworthy remark was made by a member of the courts that was as follows, “The natural and proper timidity and delicacy which belongs to the female sex evidently unfits it for many occupations of civil life....The paramount destiny and mission of women are to fulfill the noble and benign office of wife and mother. This is the law of the Creator." This just shows the outrageous discrimination during those times in America. Nearly fifteen years later the decision was reversed by the Illinois Supreme Court and she was approved and licensed to practice law, and made her the first women to practice law in the state of Illinois. Some of the reason for the initial ruling was because it was not a social norm for women to practice law. Also, had they approved it, it would have opened the window for other women to practice law. This later proved to be true, but only few went through that window. This was significant in history because it was groundbreaking. She was amongst the first to break the gender barrier in law. After those initial barriers are broke, it really does open opportunities for others. One other thing I found notable about Bradwell was that she was a mother of four children. She did however lose two of her children, but nevertheless, she was able to pass the bar and becoming a lawyer while being a mother. Something that even 130 years later still seems to be impossible, or at the least challenging.